


Age Is Just A Number

by washtheseghostsclean



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Charles is chaotic good, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26567740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/washtheseghostsclean/pseuds/washtheseghostsclean
Summary: Max is quite happy with his life right now. Sometimes though, some late nights he does wish it could be a little bit different. He wishes he could be a part of Dan’s life in a romantic way. He wishes he could go to sleep with him, and wake up with Dan’s arms around him. Well, that’s not happening so no need to dwell on daydreams.
Relationships: Carlos Sainz Jr & Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc & Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen
Comments: 6
Kudos: 103





	Age Is Just A Number

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I did not plan to fall in love with them! It just happen. These idiots are everything to me know. I wanted this to turn out dirty but it somehow turned into soft mutual pining? I don't know. Also I found an old playlist with Stacy's Mom on it and honestly it's the most hilarious thing to relate it to these two. Still huge TS fan so the ending lyrics felt right to me.

_You know, I'm not the little boy that I used to be_

_I'm all grown up now, baby can't you see_

_Stacy's mom has got it goin' on_

_She's all I want and I've waited for so long_

_Stacy, can't you see you're just not the girl for me_

_I know it might be wrong but I'm in love with Stacy's mom_

_Stacy’s Mom - Fountains of Wayne_

* * *

Max Verstappen is not in love with Daniel Ricciardo.

What? He’s not!

Admiring someone’s physical traits does not make you in love with them. What if Max admires them too much? What if he’s jacking off to Dan’s Insta training stories? That does not make him in love. A pervert maybe but he’s not in love with Dan. At least that’s what he keeps saying to himself every time Dan passes by him and his heart does a backflip. Plus he’s pretty sure Dan’s straight so there’s really no point.

“I still think you should not assume things about people,” Charles says while scrolling through Instagram. Max just looks at him blankly.

“Well, it’s not like he’s out and about screaming at the top of his lungs that he loves dick.” He shoots back and Charles shrugs.

“Do you have to scream it at the top of your lungs to be though?” Carlos interjects, which is a fair point but still.

“In any case,” Max goes on. “I’m not in love with Daniel Ricciardo.” His voice is a low whisper and he takes a quick look around to be sure. Dan is kind of like the Beetlejuice, you call his name and his manifests. This is the last thing Max needs when having a day full of interviews ahead of him.

To have a constant hard-on.

* * *

Carlos thinks he’s very funny.

Max has told him many times that he’s not.

They’re halfway through a shared interview with Hulk and Max makes the mistake of looking at his phone. The screen flashes with a message and he opens it only to be thrown into the Spotify app. Stacy’s Mom blasts from the speaker and he’s just one second too late to turn it off. Dan is eight years older than him and his friends are assholes and this not a teenage crush. He just thinks Dan is hot! Which is not wrong, objectively he’s a very hot guy. With a nice body and some sick tattoos and Max has a thing for guys with tattoos. Fuck off.

Hulk tips his head to the side, scanning Max’s face.

“Interesting choice of a song.” He says in Dutch, hiding a smile as Max tries to turn it off.

“Nah, Carlos just thinks he has a sense of humor.” Max brushes it off, finally turning the fucking thing off. If his face is red, Hulk does not comment on it.

* * *

It becomes a thing after that and Charles or Carlos will whisper the lyrics to him every time Daniel is near. It doesn’t matter that someone might hear them, his friends will be dicks and do it anyway.

“I honestly don’t know why I hang out with you.” He hisses as they move to their drivers’ briefing.

“Because we are cool,” Charles says confidently and Max rolls his eyes. 

“Have the guys at Ferrari been lying to you again, Leclerc?” Max snorts but Charles is already two steps ahead of him.

* * *

The race was okay.

He didn’t get a podium but he did finish fourth and that was good enough for now. Max’s mind runs back to the start of his F1 career where his dad used to put him down for every result that wasn’t a win. For every lost race, every time he’d make a mistake. He used to be so stressed when he started driving at Red Bull with Dan. So many weekends where a DNF or a nonpodium position would throw him into a spiral and nothing would be able to bring him back.

Dan used to always be there to bring him back. A warm smile, a hand on his shoulder, small gestures that would help him ground himself again. His dad used to hate it, kept saying that being attached to people only brought up problems. A seat at the top would be nice but wouldn’t be lonely if he had no one to share it with?

When Christian first suggested for Jos to stay away for a weekend Max freaked out a bit. Not because of having his dad kicked out but because of his Dad’s reaction. His boss left no room for argument though and that was it. It all paid off in the end, Max is now more relaxed and able to focus better.

Right this instant for example he is focused on how good Dan looks on his to the podium.

He looks really, _really_ good.

“Hey!” He calls after Dan on his way out. Dan’s smile widens and Max tells himself it’s not because of him. “Good race today. You deserved that podium.”

“Thanks, mate!” Dan replies back and pulls him into a tight hug. If it lasts a minute longer than it should no one of the comments on it.

* * *

They are in semi-decent terms now.

Max has grown, his dad is not around to poison everything anymore and Dan is doing his own thing with McLaren. So there’s really no animosity between them, no hard feelings. Max misses riling him up, though. He misses getting Dan so fucking pissed he turned red but tried to keep his cool.

Max used to do it all the time back in the day. Then he would go back to his room and jack off to many depraved fantasies of Dan fucking him into the sheets. What? He was a horny teenager! Who can blame him? He’s still kind of a horny teenager but now he’s able to put a lid on it and not make a fool out of all of them.

He sighs annoyed as one of the groupies that hang around the paddock all the time tries to throw herself at Dan. Will he take her home? Will he fuck her the way Max has been craving to be fucked?

* * *

“I stand by my original statement,” Charles says taking a sip of his beer.

“Which is?” Max raises an eyebrow in question.

“Do not assume things about people,” Charles repeats. “Talk to him.”

Office parties are not his favorite but Max used to stay in a lot and he’s kind of tired of that attitude. So he’s made a point to not say ‘no’ when Charles and Carlos drag him out. Does he complain all the way through? Yes. Yes, he does. Do his friends care? No. No, they don’t. So here they are, taking up a booth in the corner of the club, staying away from everyone.

“How have I never thought of that?” Max snaps back. “I can just go to him and say ‘Hey-“

“Stacy’s mom!” Carlos offers helpfully because really, this is not the place to give something like that away. Max looks at him for a moment before shaking his head.

“ _Stacy’s mom_ ,” He repeats past the point of caring right now. “Are you into me or not?”

“Exactly like that!” Charles snickers into his beer again and Max flips him off. Max is sitting with his back to the room, the other two assholes opposite him.

“I have an idea!” Carlos says and before Max can stop him, motions to someone to join them. “Hey, Danny boy!” Dan is pulled into the booth pretty much against his will.

“Yes?” He asks eyeing all three of them. Once more, if his eyes linger on Max a moment longer no one really notices.

“We have a question for you.” Charles leans in, eyes sparkling with excitement. Max should stop this. Max should say something and save Dan. Again, Max should kick both of his friends so they don’t ruin the semi-decent relationship he has with Dan now. Max is paralyzed by fear currently though. His mind is going into overdrive but his muscles have locked in. It’s a lot like seeing you’re about to crash and know very well that you’re not able to stop it.

“Okay?” Dan is still unsure of what is to come. He’s known these guys for a while now and he likes all of them, some more than others. But honestly, nothing good has ever come by Charles asking him a question. It’s either something inappropriate or something he’s going to get yelled at.

“You’re old.” Charles continues and Dan is only mildly offended.

“I’m thirty-one,” Dan argues back.

“My point exactly.” Charles nods unbothered. “You’re old so you might be able to help with this.” Honestly, Dan knows a lost battle when he sees one. “Maxy, here,” Charles moves closer to Max and slings an arm around his shoulders. “Likes someone older than him.”

“Oh.” Dan’s face fells and Max is not sure why. “And?”

“He has doubts about asking them out.” Charles looks at Max, eyes fluttering. From a certain angle, he looks like Pepe Le Pew, and Max wants to murder him. “What do you think?”

“How old are we talking about?” Dan asks, trying to save up time. This is a question he honestly does not want to answer for reasons he would like to not disclose to the current company.

“I think eight, give or take?” Carlos chimes in and Max knows that they are not going to make it alive out of here.

“Well, if you like her,” Dan shrugs, “Age is just a number.”

“Oh,” Charles nods beside Max. “He really, really, _really_ likes _them_.” He puts emphasis on the pronoun but it seems to go over Dan’s head. Jesus, Charles thought he was smart.

“Then you should go for it,” Dan says and his words are a bit forced this time. “Sorry, Seb’s calling me.” Then he’s out of the booth and is he really jogging away from them?

“That was unnecessary for all parties involved!” Max hisses and his heart misses a beat. Fuck Charles, and fuck Carlos and fuck this party. He’s never going out again.

“The man himself spoke.” Carlos points out taking a sip of his drink.

“Dan is not gay.” Max forces out through gritted teeth.

* * *

The guys offer to share a cab with him back to the hotel they are staying but it’s not that far away. He wants to walk for a bit, clear his mind. So maybe he does have a crush on Daniel Ricciardo. Maybe he’s even in love with him too. That means nothing because there are so many reasons why this is not meant to be. Their job, their teams, his father, the fact that Dan is not gay.

Max is quite happy with his life right now. Sometimes though, some late nights he does wish it could be a little bit different. He wishes he could be a part of Dan’s life in a romantic way. He wishes he could go to sleep with him, and wake up with Dan’s arms around him. Well, that’s not happening so no need to dwell on daydreams.

“Max!” His heart falls to his stomach. This voice is the last one he wants to hear now.

“Hey.” Max waves back awkwardly.

“Sorry for running out on you.” Dan rubs the back on his neck. Something Max knows happens only when Dan is really stressed out. “Seb really did need me.”

“Eh.” Max shrugs.

“About that girl.” He continues and Max can see that his body is tense. His brows are furrowed and Max has seen him like this only a handful of times. Only after very bad races. “I meant what I said if you really like her go for it. Age is just a number and eight years is not even-“ He’s ranting and the next thing Max knows is that his lips are on Dan’s.

One heartbeat.

Two.

Three.

Then Dan’s arms are pulling him in and their teeth are clashing and Max feels like the earth has stopped moving. His dreams could not even begin to compare to how good this feels. They have to pull away eventually, the need for air greater for their need for each other.

“I’m in love with you.” Max pants, arms still around Dan’s neck.

“So am I.” Dan smiles and everything falls into place.

Yeah, Max Verstappen is in love with Daniel Ricciardo and that is quite alright.

* * *

_And you know for me it's always you_

_In the dead of night, you're eyes so green_

_And I know for you it's always me_

_I know places ~ Taylor Swift_


End file.
